ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · ground · lash · leaves · swing · spell · bulb · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. spell — a short time
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. ground — a position
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. swing — in golf
  9. ground — crushed
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. swing — to play on
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bulb — for light
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. swing — music
  24. bulb — for light

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com